AUGUSTA, Ga. - The day Tiger Woods has been thinking about for months is here.

Week after week at PGA Tour stops from Los Angeles to Miami this season, Woods has made no secret of the fact he's been on golf's version of a shakedown cruise, preparing for his Masters defense.

The Masters, Woods has been fond of saying, "is the time to take care of business."

When the first round of the 62nd Masters Tournament begins this morning at the Augusta National Golf Club, all eyes will be on the 22-year-old California native who now lives in Orlando, Fla.

Woods, and the rest of the field, will tee off an hour later than their originally scheduled starting time, the Augusta National announced on Wednesday afternoon. Rain forecast for Wednesday night brought about the change.

Woods now tees off at 2:30 p.m., alongside U.S. Amateur champion Matt Kuchar of Georgia Tech. Honorary starters Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead will christen the tournament at 9 a.m. The first group will hit the course at 9:15.

Until proven otherwise, the other 87 players in the field are bit players on a stage that has one star.

Was Woods' magnificent performance in the 1997 Masters (20 records broken, including the 32-year-old tournament scoring record) a once-in-lifetime performance, or can he take it even deeper than 18-under-par 270 for the 72-hole test?

"Can I better it?" Woods asks. "Yeah. Eighteen-under can definitely be broken. There's no doubt about it. I don't know when, but it's just a matter of time."

Woods did shoot a 4-over-par 40 on the front nine in 1997, but he also never three-putted a green. From 10-feet in, Woods said he never missed a putt.

"It's a different year and a different ballgame," three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo said. "I don't think you'll be shooting for a score. You just play your own game and see what happens."

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie had some doubts about how Woods would stand up to major championship pressure before the third round of last year's Masters. Paired with Woods, the leader at the time, and trailing by three shots, Woods shot a 65 to Montgomerie's 74.

`If he particularly plays and putts the way he did last year, we've got a real battle on our hands," Montgomerie said. "It's a very interesting position for us to see how he reacts to situations and see how he does."

There is the school of thought that believes Woods will cruise to another victory. He led by nine shots entering last year's final round.

"If he plays well, I think he'll run away with the golf tournament," Jack Nicklaus said. "If he plays just normal, I think he'll probably win. If he plays poorly, I think he'll still be in contention."

If Woods does repeat, he'll join Nicklaus (1965-66) and Faldo (1989-90) as the only Masters champions to successfully defend their title.

It may not be as easy as last year's 12-shot victory, but Woods is after all the player six-time champion Nicklaus believes will win more green jackets than Nicklaus and four-time champion Arnold Palmer combined.

The ample fairways at Augusta National are tailor-made for the sometimes erratic Woods off the tee (he ranks 58th on the tour in driving accuracy). Because of his great length (Woods never hit more than a 7-iron into a par-4 in last year's Masters, Woods played the par-5s in 13-under-par style.

"This course is right up his alley," Kite said.

In his prime, Nicklaus says "with my length, the hazards weren't there. I hit it over everything, same as Tiger does now. So when a guy is that dominate, I see no reason why he won't win again."

The fact that Woods has already won a Masters title - at an earlier age than anyone in history - makes it easier for him to do it again, he feels.

"There's less pressure this year because it's gong to be more external pressure," Woods said. "But internal pressure, I think there will be less because now I know how to win at Augusta."

"If I was in that position and had a green jacket, man, I'd be free-wheeling it this year,' Kite said.

When Woods won the Masters and five other events on the PGA Tour in his first 21 starts as a professional, it was said he had the killer instinct when he was in the hunt for a title.

Yet after averaging a victory for every 3.5 starts in those first 21 starts, Woods hasn't won in his last 15 tournaments in the United States. His scoring average for his last six rounds, none of which has been under par, is 73.3.

Woods did win the Johnnie Walker Classic in Phuket, Thailand in late January, shooting a final round 65 to make up eight shots on Ernie Els. Woods then beat Els on the second hole of the playoff.

"There's been a lot of stuff written about how he's in a slump," said Kite. "He hasn't won, but he's having a great year."

Woods has had three top three finishes, is sixth on the money list, first in scoring (69.81 average) and second in driving distance.